The 3-2 Program in Engineering

Holy Cross offers a cooperative, five-year program for students who are interested in combining the liberal arts and sciences with engineering. Students spend three years as full-time students at Holy Cross and two years as full-time students at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University in New York City. There is also a similar six-year program, combining four years at Holy Cross with two years at Columbia.

At the conclusion of the program, students receive both a bachelor of arts from Holy Cross in mathematics or physics, and a bachelor of science in a specific engineering major from Columbia University. 

Students apply for admission to the Combined Plan Program at Columbia University during their third year at Holy Cross.  With careful planning, students can qualify for guaranteed admission if they complete certain course requirements with an overall and pre-engineering grade point average as specified on the Columbia web site in the fall of their freshman year. For students in the classes of 2011-2014 the minimum GPA requirement if 3.0.  For the class of 2015 the minimum GPA requirement will be raised to 3.30. The requirements include courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry and computer programming. Students who do not complete the requirements in time to receive guaranteed admission can still apply for admission. Students who are not admitted to the 3-2 program have the option to finish the requirements during their senior year and apply for guaranteed admission to the 4-2 program.  Please note that Columbia University makes all final decisions about admission to the Combined Plan Program.

The student pays tuition to Holy Cross for the first three years of enrollment and to the second institution for the last two years. Students are eligible for financial aid in accordance with the financial aid policy of the institution at which the student is currently paying tuition. Columbia University has a financial aid policy similar to Holy Cross.

Students who wish to pursue this program should contact the 3-2 Program Advisor as early as possible in their college career in order to properly plan their courses.  Students should declare a mathematics or physics major during their first year.  Students must meet with the 3-2 Program Advisor no later than March of their first year.  At that time, they will be required to declare the pre-engineering concentration.

In addition, descriptions and admission requirements for the Columbia Combined Plan Program are available at the following website:

• http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/engineering/combined/

Please note that Holy Cross will no longer participate in Dartmouth's Dual Degree Program  beginning with the class of 2015.